OpenBuildings Designer CONNECT Edition, Update 6 (v10.06.00.64)

The OpenBuildings product team is pleased to announce the availability of OpenBuildings Designer CONNECT Edition, Update 6 (v10.06.00.64) through the Bentley CONNECT Center, Software Downloads portal or the desktop CONNECTION Client.
 
The product is available in six (6) languages - Chinese (Simplified), English, French, German, Italian and Spanish) and includes fourteen (14) regional datasets - Australia, China, Denmark, Germany, Spain, France, Italy, Neutral Metric, New Zealand, Swedish, Singapore, United Kingdom, United States (Imperial and  Metric). This version incorporates several new productivity enhancements as well as user requested fixes. It also includes updates from MicroStation CONNECT Edition Update 13. Please refer to the "What's New Highlights" section below for some of the product updates and enhancements.
 
GenerativeComponents, Update 6 (v10.06.00.88) is available as a companion feature. This computational design platform can easily be included as part of any deployment of OpenBuildings Designer.

Update via CONNECTION Client:

If you have AECOsim Building Designer CONNECT Edition or OpenBuildings Designer CONNECT Edition already installed on your computer, then OpenBuildings Designer CONNECT Edition, Update 6 will be advertised as an update from the CONNECTION Client. However, if you are transitioning from AECOsim Building Designer to OpenBuildings Designer it is recommend that you first uninstall AECOsim Building Designer and then install OpenBuildings Designer. If you proceed with the update, It will replace any earlier versions of the product, but the root directories ..\Program Files\Bentley\AECOSim CONNECT Edition and ..\ProgramData\Bentley\AECOsim CONNECT Edition will remain branded AECOsim instead of OpenBuildings. Please see the following wiki for more information about making the transition from AECOsim Building Designer to OpenBuildings Designer -> Installation options for OpenBuildings Designer

Download from the CONNECT Center > Software Downloads: (Recommended)

If you would like the full installation of OpenBuildings Designer CONNECT Edition Update 6, please follow these steps to download it from Fulfillment Center:

• Sign in to www.bentley.com
• At the top of the page click on [SUPPORT]
• On the ‘At Your Service’ page, in the section ‘Manage Your Licenses’, click on [GO TO CONNECT CENTER]
• On the ‘Enterprise Portal’ page, in the section ‘Support Service & Administration Resources’, click on [Software Downloads]
• On the 'Software Downloads' page, filter the available products by the Brand 'OpenBuildings' and then on the ‘OpenBuildings Designer’ tile click on [Get Software]
• Filter the available Version by ‘10.06.00.64’ and then click on [Download] to download the software

Software Downloads  can also be accessed through the desktop CONNECTION Client. Open the CONNECTION Client from the system tray and click on [CONNECTION Center]. Scroll down to the ‘My Services’ section and click on the [Software Downloads] tile.

 Important installation requirements and notices are found in the Readme.

Updating Dataset:

Please remember that upgrading AECOsim Building Designer or OpenBuildings Designer from one version to the next does NOT upgrade the dataset. Datasets are not automatically upgraded to preserve project fidelity or any customizations. It is recommended that you make backup copies of your current dataset and allow the upgrade installer to install fresh and current versions of the datasets that can be used as an aid to upgrade any custom versions. Each dataset includes a version to version migration outline for additions, deletions and significant changes.

What's New Highlights for OpenBuildings Designer CONNECT Edition, Update 6 (v10.06.00.64)

 • Consolidated 'Level Off' options in DV/CVE drawings/sheets

Unlike MicroStation, OpenBuildings Designer allows users to present elements in the drawing with different levels then those levels assigned to the parent model element. This is necessary to meet the requirements of various CAD standards. Originally, OpenBuildings Designer introduced a separate tool called 'DV Levels' to manage the separate level control for graphics generated by a section cut and those generated for the forward/back section graphics. In OpenBuildings Designer CE, Update 6, level controls for drawings/sheets (DV/CVE) are unified under one single "Level Off' command.

 • Display Rules Improvements

Improved handling of display rules priority with OpenBuildings Elements. Display Rules still have some remaining issue with compound nested elements such as Compound Walls and Curtain Walls.

• Standardize File Naming Utility Enhancements

• Improved file property validation and user feedback
• Improved format validation when Control labels contain spaces and underscores
• Resolved issue within Minimum Character (MinChar) rule
• Improved Standardize Name preview

 • Curtain Wall Tool (Enhancements)

• Select Panels in-line: A common work flow is to select all the panels in a row to change them. This new command on the curtain wall mini toolbar lets you select all the panels inside an area, all that cross through an area, or all that are perfectly in a line.
• Insert/Remove vertex commands now work on the outline of curtain walls that were placed By Shape. 
• New update command to sync any changes to parametric cell libraries and part/family definitions to curtain walls placed in your project.

 • Component Part Mapping Utility

This revised utility lets you scan parametric cells, check for incorrect part & family assignments, and then make different assignments.  

 • New Mechanical Join commands

• Join With Tee - joins ducts by placing a selected tee or wye fitting where two ducts meet.
• Join With Cross - creates a cross connector at a location where two ducts cross.

 • Mechanical > Place Device Array

Places an array of diffusers and sprinkler equipment devices within a selected space or area.

 • Mechanical > Place "Stacked" Mechanical Annotation

Places a "Stacked" Annotation on multiple mechanical components, fulfilling annotation symbology in 2D.

 • Mechanical > Flow Arrow for Diffusers

New arrow symbology option in Dynamic Views that can be applied to a terminal device (diffuser) to clearly represent the device's throw pattern.

 • Mechanical > Slope Tool support for Sanitary Tee

The mechanical slope tool now supports sanitary tees in sloped piping system

 • IFC 2x3 & IFC 4 RV

• Resolved ProjectWise Integration with IFC file creation, synchronization with ProjectWise repository and Check-in
• Resolved COBie Creation ('Create COBie') with 'Zip IFC file' 
• Corrected the IFC4 export value for 'North Direction'
• Export IFC (IFC2x3 CV2.0 +QTO &Space Boundaries), addressed missing Base Quantities information for Structural elements.
• Minor fixes to IFC Optimization utility

 • Solids Working Area (SWA) Validator

• Resolved issue with Global Origin. The Solids Working Area (SWA) is a defined volume/cube related to Solids Accuracy, which is determined from both the Resolution setting and the Solids setting in the Advanced Unit Settings dialog. The SWA does not move with the assignment of a Global Origin as Global Origin defines just the offset from the design file origin and is primarily for display purposes and not calculations. The native Solids Working Area can be displayed in any view with the key-in:mdl command cmd_showSolidsWorkingArea followed by a 'fit view'. To turn off the display, use the same key-in followed an 'update view' and 'fit view'.
• Added new option to the Solids Working Area Validator to scale its validation area up to 3 times the original Solids Working Area. Working a little outside the Solids Working Area will typically not result in visible floating point accuracy issues and this may reduce the number of SWA validation issues reported in larger projects. This is enabled through a new Configuration Variable named BB_SWA_VALIDATION_SCALE (see below - 'New Configuration Variables').

 • Energy Simulator

Simulation - New "Simulation" type options are added in Simulation dialog - Calculate tab to help generate additional reports for various simulations: Heat gain/loss, Maxi gain, Temperature frequency, Equipment sizing, Plant energy and CO2. All Heat Loss calculations are reworked.

 • Features moved from Technology Preview to Commercial Release

Pipe System Sizing

• New Configuration Variables

MS_SECTION_BACK_VISIBLE_EDGES  (Defined by default in OpenBuildings)
   When this variable is set, the Cached Visible Edge processing algorithm generates section graphics along the front crop plane of the Forward clip volume and the back crop plane of the Backward clip volume. 
    
MS_PATTERNORIENTATION_ROTATEWITHVIEW  (Defined by default in OpenBuildings)
   When this variable is defined, it enables Patterns defined within a Display Rule to rotate and align with the view orientation
   
BB_SWA_VALIDATION_SCALE (Undefined by default)
   When this variable is defined, it allows the for the Solids Working Area Validation tool to scale it validation area anywhere from  to 1.0 to 3.0 times the original Solids Working Area. Working a little outside the Solids Working Area will typically not result in visible floating point accuracy issues. If undefined, or set outside the range of 1.0-3.0, the SWA scale factor will default to the original SWA design cube
   
BB_VISIBILITY_THRESHOLD (Undefined by default)
   Some elements in a drawing may not be seen by the Visibility Calculator if the threshold is too high.  Adjusting this setting may allow the elements to be seen in the drawing.  Allowable values are between 0 and 1.  Default value is 1.0e-8.
  
BBES_SERVER_LATENCY_SECONDS (Undefined by default)
   If defined, this variable overrides the default prescribe timeout period used to establish a connection to the Electrical database. This variable should resolve issues were the timeout is just beyond the timeout threshold due to the network latency. Value is defined in seconds.

 • New Key-in

Key-in : DVLEVELS CVEUSAGE

When forward geometry is completely hidden or occluded by cut geometry, those levels are not marked as used in the level display This key-in displays and mark those levels as used in the level display. 
   

Discontinuations:

The Welcome Page - was introduced as part of the initial CONNECT Edition release. It's focus was introducing the user to the application and provides quick links to Examples, Learning courses, News and Announcements, and different social media websites. With the introduction of CONNECT Advisor, which provides similar and overlapping capabilities and user feedback, the Welcome Page has been discontinued. All the capabilities of the Welcome Page are still available and can be found under the new 'Help' tab of the ribbon bar menu, which includes Help, CONNECT Advisor (News and Announcements (RSS feeds) and  Learning courses), Examples, and Social Links.
 
The Pantone Color Books have been discontinued. If you still require the use the Pantone Color Books, simply use an existing DGN that has these colors or create a new color book with a Pantone color and use the RGB values to replicate the color.
 
Structural Analytical modeling options - OpenBuildings Designer is discontinuing its native Structural Analytical modeling options in favor of Bentley's structural analysis software applications: RAM and STAAD. OpenBuildings Designer is integrated with these structural analysis applications via the Integrated Structural Model (ISM), which is designed to share structural engineering project information among modeling, analysis, design, drafting and detailing software applications.
  

Technology Preview:

 • Physically-Based Rendering (PBR)

Physically Based Rendering (PBR) is real time rendering approach to achieve photorealism via physical simulation of light.  OpenBuildings Designer CE, Update 6 introduces PBR materials as a Technology Preview to allow you to visualize your designs and make your renderings even more stunning and appealing in near real time using the standard Illustration display styles. Please reference the Visualization BE Community for more information to come.

What's New Highlights for GenerativeComponents Companion Feature CONNECT Edition Update 6 (v10.06.00.88):

 • Grid Node

The Grid Node has an improvement in the 'ByExistingGrid' technique. Floor related changes improve the integration with OpenBuildings Designer workflows. The 'ByGrid' technique is renamed to 'FromExistingGrid', which has the 'NameOfGrid' input property available to it. FromExistingGrid only represents existing OpenBuildings Designer grids with new output properties.

 • Structural Member and Wall Nodes

The 'StructuralMember' and 'Wall' nodes are enhancement to allow you to create structural members and walls with new 'ByGrid' techniques. The new techniques inputs include OpenBuildings Designer floors, grid lines and grid intersections.